Shirley Jean Ellis passed away in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the age of 82 years.

Shirley is the daughter of Melvin Turpin & Etta (Cherry) Turpin, born on September 26, 1943, at the family homeplace in Non, Oklahoma. She was brought up in the Non community and attended Non schools through eighth grade, and at age 17 graduated Gerty High School with the Class of 1961. Following graduation she moved to Dallas and went to work for Texas Instruments, where she met Virgil Albert Ellis. They were married on May 31, 1963, in Howe, Texas. Shirley worked for many years at Texas Instruments and then opened a couple of her own businesses, a cleaning service for homes and offices and a tree service. She started and coached the first girls’ soccer team in Plano, Texas. She and Virgil retired in 2000 and returned to Oklahoma, where they built a home on the Ellis family homeplace. They loved traveling and going on cruises with family and friends, especially with their siblings and spouses. Shirley enjoyed growing flowers and plants, and was passionate about water aerobics. She particularly enjoyed going every third Saturday of the month with Jimmie Nell to the McSwain Theatre in Ada. She was a volunteer for the Calvin Food Pantry. She was a member of the Stuart Church of Christ where she attended every Sunday, and she attended the Atwood Church of Christ every Wednesday night.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Melvin & Etta Turpin; her husband of 54 years, Virgil Ellis; siblings and their spouses: Leon & Myrtle Turpin, Ruth & Dale Tipton, Elvin & Iva Turpin, James & Thelma Lee Turpin, Kathleen & Lloyd Raney, Gene Turpin, Paul & Doretta Turpin, Charlie Holland, Ralph Turpin, and Jerry Johnson; her grandson, Daniel Gerths.

She is survived by two children: her son and daughter-in-law, John & Debbie Ellis, and her daughter and son-in-law, Mary & Scott Gerths, all of Stuart; three grandchildren: Alexandria Citty (Daniel) of McAlester, Amanda Savage (Landon) of Frisco TX, and Shane Gerths (Olivia), also of Frisco TX; four great-grandchildren: Luna Citty, Willow Citty, Madeline Savage, and Cameron Savage; one great-grandson on the way, Thomas Daniel Gerths; two sisters, Margaret Levingston (Roger) of Allen, and Pauline Johnson of Lindale TX; two sisters-in-law, Joyce Turpin of Eufaula, and Jimmie Nell Turpin of Gerty; numerous nieces and nephews, other family members, and many friends.

Funeral services will be Monday, June 15, 2026, 3:00pm at the Stuart Church of Christ, and Shirley will be laid to rest at Hilltop Cemetery. Chris Rampey is the officiating minister. Pallbearers are Nephews: Greg Turpin, Gilford Turpin, Melvin Turpin, Shelly Turpin, Gary Lloyd Raney, Larry Tipton, Dennis Lee Turpin, Farrell Raney, Gary Tipton, Paul Johnson, James Johnson, Ledon Turpin, Steven Holland, and Charles Tipton.